HAMILTON — Canada’s Nexxice has taken the lead at the ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships by producing the top short program at the 20-country event.
Nexxice, Canada’s top-ranked entry at the competition, earned 71.06 points on Friday and are ahead of second-place Finland (70.39) and third-place Sweden (69.94).
Skating to "MUD" by The Road Hammers, Nexxice earned two level fours and three level threes in their performance.
Approximately 6,700 fans attended the event.
"It was just electric out there, the crowd was fantastic," said team member Kristen Loritz. "We felt the energy as we stepped on the ice and carried with us until the finishing pass. We practice with simulated crowd noise all week and that helped the girls relax."
Skating for Nexxice, which is based out of Burlington, Ont., are Loritz, Shannon Aikman-Jones, Maria Albanese, Ellicia Beaudoin, Emma Bonafiglia, Kelly Britten, Courtney Broadhurst, Lee Chandler, Alessia Chiovitti, Carla Coveart, Samantha Defino, Courtney Gray, Yu Hanamoto, Renata Khuzina, Victoria Kwan, Nichole Manahan, Kerrin Caitlin McKinnon, Victoria Smith, Kiersten Tietz and Gillian Tyler.
Nexxice are the nine-time consecutive Canadian champions and the only North American team to win the world championships — which happened in 2009. They’ve won silver at the last three worlds.
Canada’s second entry — les Supremes from St-Leonard, Que. — are in seventh spot.
Skating for Les Supremes are Elodie Marie Acheron, Audrey Bedard, Jessica Bernardo, Lou-Ann Bezeau-Tremblay, Joannie Brazeau, Sara Irma Corona, Alexandra Del Vecchio, Laurie Desilets, Jacqueline Hampshire, Maria-Victoria Langon, Clemence Lea Marduel, Agathe Sigrid Merlier, An-Kim Nguyen, Minh-Thu Tina Nguyen, Anne-Louise Normand, Genevieve Rougeau, Marina Rousseau, Laurra Olivia Sena, Claudia Sforzin and Yasuko Uchida.
Les Supremes have been runners-up at the past five nationals and were sixth at worlds in 2014.
This is the third time Canada has hosted the event in its 16 year history, with Canada having won medals at 10 of those previous events.